Valve actuating mechanism



June 2, 1931, c. c. WILLIAMS VALVE ACTUATING HECHANISII Filed April '7. 1927 mi w 5 77W m e u WXN//f 0 2 W M@ m a Z A .l E, ,a Q w .2 ,p 6 f um A Ff Z 1/ n@ MOV C ma 2 m .T 0 v wz 4. Z w A 1 WMYVMV h m mmm/v3 Patented June 2, 1931 i i i 1 807 719 t 7 f UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE` CALVIN C. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA VALVE ACTUATING MEGHANISM Application iiled April 7, 1927. Serial No. 181,787.

This invention relates to an improved valve gine is indicated at 14, and slidably supportactuating mechanism which, in its general ing the valve is a cage 15, the valve being characteristics, is similar to the mechanism normally held closed by a spring 16. Mountdisclosed in my co-pending application filed ed to coact with the upper end of the valve March 17, 1926, Serial No. 95,361, aswell as stem is a rocker l17 carrying an adjustable 55 the mechanism disclosed in my later co-pendball 18, and formed to coact with the ball is ing application filed VNovember 26, 1926, Sea socket 19. rial No. 148,054. i In carryingthe invention into effect, I ein- The invention seeks, among other objects, ploy a push rod embodying a female clutch 10 to provide a mechanism including a push rod member which includes a clutch cup 20 hav- 60 which incorporates a novel slip joint autoing arconical inner face 21,V and projecting matically operable to accommodate length from the hat bottom wall of said cup is a de ening or shortening of the rod, and wherein pending tubular stud 22 which freely fits in j said joint will include male and female joint the socket 13 of the tappet 11 so that the bota members permaifientlyT assembled to provide tom wall of the cup thus rests flat against 55 a separate and distinct joint unit, one of the the upper end of the tappet. Formed on the members of which is formed to removably recup at its `upper end is an overhanging anceive apush rod element. nular flange 23, and fitting said flange is a A further object of the invention is to profrusto-conical cap or housing- 24 provided at vide a mechanism wherein the expansive its lower endvwith a flange 25 tightly embrac- 70 force of the spring of the joint will be utilized l ing the fiange 23 for rigidly connecting the at both ends of the spring for lengthening the cap to the cup.

mechanism. Disposed within the clutch cup is a series 5 And the invention seeks, as a still further of1 conical or longitudinally tapered clutch 7 object, to provide amechanism capable of rollers 26, and housed within the cap 24 is a 75 economic manufacture and wherein the postubular male clutch member 27 tapered at sibility of loss or dislocation of any of the its lower end portion to provide a clutch cone parts prior to actual installation of the mech- Y 28 which rests within the series of rollers 26 anism will be eliminated while also, actual Y to coact therewith, the clutch member being installation will be rendered simple and easy. j closed at its lower end by an end wall. 80

Other objects of the invention not specifi- Formed on the upper end of the clutch ineincallv mentioned in the foregoing will appearV ber 27 is an overhanging annular iiange 29,

during the course of the following descrip- Vand freely surrounding said member to rest tion. against the larger upper ends of the rollers In the accompanying drawings, 26 is v an annular follower 30 upturned at 85 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showits peripheral margin to providel a spring ing my improved mechanism in connection seat. Resting at its lower end within said with a conventional overhead valve, and seat and at its upper end against the flange j 4 Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on 29 of the clutch member 27 is a spring 31.

i 5 Referring now`more particularly to the A 27 and is provided at its lower end with a the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direc Extending freely through the top wall of 90 tion indicated by the arrows, this view parthe cap 24 of the female clutch member 20 ticularly showing the clutch rollers of the slip is a push rod element 32 which is freely joint. accommodated within the male clutch member drawings, I have shown a fixed tappet guide tapered terminal 33 snugly but removably 95 at 10, and' Slidable, through said guide is a, fitting within the tapered clutch cone 28 of tappet 11 operable by a cam shaft 12, the tapsaid member, the male clutch member thus petrbeing provided at its upper end with a providing a socket for said element. At .its customary axial socket 18. A conventionalV upper end the element 32 is provided'with overhead valve of an internal combustion en a slightly enlarged head 34 and, as will be observed, said head is shaped to accommodate the socket 19 which is removably slipped over said head.

As will be observed, the male clutch member 27 and associated parts are enclosed by the female clutch member 2O and cap 24 to provide a permanently assembled slip joint which is separate and distinct so that, when installing the mechanism, the slip joint may be first connected with the tappet 11, when the push rod element 32 may be inserted at its lower end into the male clutch member 27 and the socket 19 disposed on the upper end of said element to coact with the ball 18. Furthermore, in thus permanently assembling the parts of the slip joint, the possibility of loss or dislocation of said parts, prior to actual installation of the joint, is eliminated. Before the joint is installed, the flange 29 of the male clutch member 27 is held against the top wall of the cap 24- by the spring 31. However, at the time of installation of the mechanism, the ball 18 is adjusted downwardly on the rocker 17 for partially depressing the push rod element 32 and consequently partially depressing the male clutch member 27, as shown in Figure 1, so as to provide a clearance between the upper end of the male clutch member and the top wall of the cap as well as to take up all looseness and play in the mechanism between the cam shaft and valve stem. As will be seen, the spring 31 will press downwardly at its lower end on the clutch rollers 2G and cause said rollers to coact with the clutch cone 28 of the male clutch member for forcin said member upwardly while also, the upper end of the spring will press upwardly on the flange 29 of said member for lifting the member. The expansive action of the spring will thus be utilized at both ends of the spring. for increasing the effective length of the mechanism. Upward movement of the push rod element 32 under th urge of the spring 31 will, of course, be limited by the engagement of the rocker 17 with the upper end of the stem of the valve 14 so that since the clutch cone 28 of the clutch member 27 will thus, in effect, provide for the clutch rollers 26, an abutment limited against upward movement, said rollers will also coact with the clutch cup 2O for forcing said cup downwardly and constantly holding the cup in solid engagement with the upper end of the tappet 11. Play between the parts will thus always be taken up and looseness or rattling permanently avoided. Moreover, the tappet 11 will be constantly held against the coacting cam of the shaft 12 so that tappet rattling will also be eliminated. rlhe spring 31 isof course, far less in strength than the spring 16, so that at no time will the spring 31 appreciably effect thefunctioning. of the valve spring.

Assuming now that the tappet 11 is raised,

the upward thrust or ar of the tappet will, as will be observed, be transmitted directly to the clutch rollers 26 and, of course, at the instant such upward thrust is transmitted to said rollers, the push rod element 32, rocker 17 and valve 14 will be at rest. .ttccordingly, the inertia of these parts will be suiiicicut to maintain the push rod element stationary momentarily and oppose the upward thrust or jar of the tappet with sufficient force to cause upward endwise slipping of the clutch rollers with a coincident upward movement of the clutch cup 2O independently of the clutch cone 28. rlhe follower 30 is therefore shifted upwardly by the rollers to compress the spring 31 and, due to the difference in the angular-ity of the clutch face 21 of the cup and the face of the clutch cone, the rollers are, of course, independently shifted upwardly a distance greater than the independent upward movement cf the clutch cup. The push rod is thus automatically contracted, but as the tappet continues in its upward. movement and the inertia of the push rod element, rocher, valve and valve stem is overcome, the upward slipping of the clutch rollers is arrested substantially at the instant the push rod element begins to yield to-the upward movement ofthe tappet, when said rollers wedge between the clutch face 21 of the cup and the clutch cone 28 of the male clutch member 27 to provide a rigid connection between said cup and the push rod elementso that the valve is opened. Due to the automatic contraction of the push rod as the valve is opened, the opening travel imparted to the valve will be correspondingly shortened. Accordingly, upon the return of the tappet downwardly, the valve will seat before the tappetL reaches the bottom of its throw so that the push rod element 32 will ie relieved of the downward pressure exerted thereon by theY valve spring 1G. As a result, the spring 31 will, as the tappet completes its downward movement, expand for again shifting the clutch rollers downwardly within the clutch cup and thus lift the push rod element 32, so that the parts will be returned to their original positions while all looseness between the parts will be automatically taken up. Rattlin(r will thus be etlcctually prevented. Should the valve fail to seat properly, the push rod will, as will be understood in view of the foregoing description, automatically expand to compensate for the saortened closing travel of the valve while, when the valve is subsequently permitted to move into engagement with its seat, the repeated jarring communicated from the tappet to the clutch rollers incident to the actuation of the tappet, will cause said rollers to slip upwardly so that the push rod will be automatically contracted to compensate for the increased closing travel of the valve.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

1. An automatic take-up device including a female clutch member, a tubular male clutch member extending therein, clutch elements interposed between said members, a spring acting on the male member and said elements and urging said elements to coact with the members, said male member being closed at its lower end to provide a socket for an element operable to open a valve, and a cap liXed to said female member and housing the male member, the cap being disposed to limit the male member against displacement out of the female member.

2. An automatic take-up device including coacting spring pressed clutch members automatically operable to either increase or decrease the effective length of said device and permanently assembled to provide a separately removable joint unit, one of said members being permanently enclosed within the joint and formed to receive a rod element operable for opening a valve.

3. An automatic take-up device including a female clutch cup provided with an inner conical clutch face, a male clutch member eX- tending into the cup and provided with a conical clutch face, tapered clutch rollers disposed between said faces and coacting therewith, and yieldable means interposed between the male member and said rollers for advancing the rollers and retracting the male clutch member in a direction out of said cup.

4. An automatic take-up device including a female clutch cup provided with an inner conical clutch face, a male clutch member eX- tending into the cup and provided with a conical clutch face, tapered clutch rollers disposed between said faces and coacting therewith, yieldable means interposed between the male member and said rollers for advancing the rollers and retracting the male member in a direction out of said cup, and a cap Vcarried by said cup and adapted to limit the male member in its retractive movement.

5. An automatic take-up device including companion clutch members, clutch elements interposed therebetween, a spring acting on one of said members and said elements and urging said elements to coact with said members, and a cap enclosing said irst-mentioned member and permanently fixed to the other of said members for permanently retaining all of the parts in assembled relation and limiting said first-mentioned member in its movement under the action of said spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CALVIN C. WILLIAMS. [Ls] 

